Key finding: "Our data suggest that inserting short summaries into existing course videos is a simple and facile way to improve student recall of course contents." Thirty-second lecture summaries at the midpoint and end of lecture videos were correlated with significantly better learner performance on related quizzes. This was true if the lecture summary was delivered by the course instructor but not if it was delivered by a "guest." (Note: The average video length was approx. 10 minutes.)

Key finding: "A strong majority of those who have taught online, 71 percent, say doing so has helped them develop skills and practices that have improved their teaching both online and in person. More than seven in 10 say online teaching has enabled them to think more critically about how to engage students with content, better use multimedia content and better use the learning management system."

Takeaways: "A four-year university-wide study of students' e-textbook practices found that e-textbook use has increased, particularly among younger students. The major barriers - including a student preference for print and unfamiliarity with e-textbooks - show signs of being alleviated. Other factors related to mobile device access and pedagogically effective e-textbooks show little change over the study period. Instructor practices have improved, but there is still room for growth, with implications for focused professional development."

Interesting article about how you might go about incorporating a virtual international exchange (VIE) experience into an online course; has the potential to significantly impact student learning in many ways; this article focuses primarily on language courses, but it could easily be adapted to other disciplines. (One of OSU's goals is to increase the international exchange opportunities students receive - this could potentially become one component of achieving this.)

"The basic idea behind the use of 'Learning Styles' is that learners can be categorized into one or more 'styles' (e.g., Visual, Auditory, Converger) and that teaching students according to their style will result in improved learning. This idea has been repeatedly tested and there is currently no evidence to support it. . . . We argue that the interests of all may be better served by promoting evidence-based approaches to Higher Education."

"Students who completed the online homework activities performed significantly better on a common comprehensive final exam than students who did not participate. . . . These findings suggest responsive online homework in general, and a responsive-adaptive learning system driven by knowledge space theory in particular, has a significant positive impact on student performance in the first-quarter general chemistry course."

"Instructional designers, like web developers in the '90s, historically had expertise in conveying content through a limited set of tools and platforms, such as a learning management system (LMS). LX designers, in contrast, merge design-thinking principles with curriculum development and the application of emerging technologies to help faculty tailor content to student behaviors and preferences. It cuts across disciplines and moves beyond the LMS: LX designers embrace graphic design, multimedia production, research-based standards and social media. They are partners to faculty throughout the program and course development process."

"The findings suggest that a new role, the life skill promoter, has emerged. Furthermore, analysis of the remaining roles (pedagogical, designer, social, technical and managerial) showed that: (i) online instructors are, first and foremost, pedagogues; (ii) the design of the particular online program influences the pedagogical and designer roles and; (iii) the managerial role has declined in importance over the years due to the development of more intuitive and transparent online scenarios from the beginning of the course onward."

"To humanize online teaching is to create a situation where strangers can meet by the campfire, discuss what is important to them, and depart with the sense of connection, despite the darkness, and a feeling of community. It is that feeling of authenticity."

An interactive site that helps faculty select and implement social media for use in their teaching based on Bloom's levels, types of content, instructional methods and forms of assessment in the course.

As online courses continue to gain in popularity at colleges and universities throughout the country, knowledge about the effectiveness of this mode of instruction, relative to that of traditional, face-to-face courses, becomes increasingly important. (An update to the 2010 DOE report showing no significant difference).